Story of a Life
by Sandylee007
Summary: Just hours after Clint Barton's second daughter is born they are forced to say goodbye. In the little time they have together Clint fantasizes an entire lifetime for her.         ONESHOT CHARACTER DEATH


A/N: This idea's been driving me INSANE for days now, trying to take shape and growing in my head. Now it's FINALLY here. (chuckles) We'll see just what I cooked up this time…

WARNINGS: CHARACTER DEATH, weirdness, feels… Oh… Anyone out there?

DISCLAIMER: IF ONLY! IF, I'd have the money, we'd have that bloody Hawkeye-movie…! (sighs dreamily) But nope, sadly, little me owns nothing. Nor do I own the BEAUTIFUL picture.

Awkay, because this is always the nerve wrecking part… Let's go! I really hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

Feels ahoy?

* * *

 ** _Story of a Life_**

* * *

The hospital room was uncomfortably cold and reeked far too sterile. Too much noise carried inside from the hallway. But the couple gathered there with their new baby didn't even notice. One of the adults had fallen into a light, exhausted sleep. The other one didn't have the heart to close their eyes as a hungry gaze drank in the child.

Ten tiny toes and ten tiny fingers. Nose from her mother and eyes from her father. Perfection in a small package.

Unable to look at anything else but her Clint pulled her closer and watched as she yawned, then opened her eyes slowly to meet his. Father and daughter getting to know each other. And in those precious moments Clint saw his baby girl's whole life.

He sighed and stroked her head gently. "Oh, sweetie… You're going to have such a wonderful life", he whispered, like it was a big secret. "Your siblings are going to dote you until it drives you insane." When the baby gave a whimper he shushed gently, soothing her almost instantly. "Don't worry, sweetie. You'll always love each other, even when you scream that you hate each other. You'll always stick together and that way you'll never be alone in the world."

That seemed to please the little one, because she chirped in a way that shouldn't have been possible for someone so young.

Clint kissed her forehead softly, earning another chirp. "When you go to school you'll be amazing at everything. Of course you will be, because you're such a smart girl. You'll make mommy and me so proud, and she'll cry at your graduation when you throw off that silly hat."

The baby sneezed and wrinkled her nose, as though dreading the hat already.

"Yeah, I know. I know. But it's only for a day." Clint pressed her nose softly with his finger and she sneezed a second time. "And guess what, baby girl? You'll fall in love four times. And that's very lucky, don't you think?"

The baby's arms flailed and her breathing pattern quickened.

Clint's smile wavered. "Your first love will be the violin uncle Steve gives you for Christmas." He scoffed quietly at her whimper. "Don't be silly, you'll know that it's from him, not Santa." They sighed together, both growing exhausted. It'd been a long night. "You start playing there and then, of course. It takes a while before you learn but when you do… Sweetie, there won't be anyone who could listen with dry eyes."

Anyone could tell him that it was just gas, but Clint was convinced that his hours old daughter smiled.

"And you'll move to London when you're twenty-one. How exciting is that? You'll join the symphony orchestra and you'll be happier than ever in your life. Until someone makes you even happier." He closed his eyes for a few seconds, taking in the new baby's lovely scent. "On a November evening there's a man named Travis watching you. And the second he sees you he falls in love with you. After the concert you receive a single white rose. There's also a note. He thanks you for the music, and writes that if you're interested, he'd like to offer his favorite violinist a cup of coffee. It's the craziest thing you've done since moving to a different country but you go to him anyway. And there he is, waiting for you in a pouring rain without an umbrella. He's shivering from cold but he smiles like the sun when he sees you. And that's when you fall in love the second time, sweetie."

The little girl snuggled closer to him, either liking his warmth, voice or the story.

"You two fight. You even break up twice. But eventually you decide that he's the one you want to have all your coffees with, for the rest of your life. He proposes to you at a hospital ward, because… I'm sorry, but you'll be as accident prone as your daddy. You both cry when you say yes, and then you call home and your mommy cries, too." Clint's eyes got blurry. He didn't pause to wonder why. "You get married on a New Year's Eve. You're such a beautiful princess, sweetie, and your mommy cries again."

The baby was almost asleep. Again Clint was certain that she was smiling. He cleared his throat before managing to continue, his eyes on his daughter. "I said that you'll fall in love four times, didn't I? On your wedding night you tell your husband that you can't have champagne, and thirty-four weeks later you have a baby girl of your own. You love her from the moment you know that you'll have her and you never stop. Not when she's born in the middle of a horrible storm. Not when her crying keeps you awake for almost two months. Not even when she becomes one of those clichéd, horrible teenagers and she shrieks that you're ruining her life." The baby whimpered and Clint chuckled, having pity on her. "Don't worry, sweetie. It doesn't last forever. Even if it feels like forever."

The baby was falling asleep again. Clint sighed and tried to pull her closer. "Your baby boy is a surprise, because you weren't prepared to have another. It's Valentine's Day and you imagine that you're having a horrible stomach flu because it's been circling around your friends. Then your husband comes home with raspberry-marmalade chocolate hearts and you consume five of them in a minute. At that moment you know." He kissed her forehead a second time, hoping and praying that it wouldn't be the last time. "You don't dare to love him, not yet. But then he's born in the hottest day of the entire summer. You look at each other and then you finally fall in love."

Clint didn't tell her about the four babies that she'd end up losing. About how close those losses come to tearing her and her husband apart. Because she didn't need to learn about the evils of the world. Not just yet.

Clint shifted to a more comfortable position. And in his horribly aching heart he knew that he wouldn't get to hold her much longer. Moisture traveled down his cheeks as he watched her and saw her. As a toddler learning to walk. As a little girl waving at him with a smile before running to school. As a teenager who twisted her hands nervously while preparing for her first violin performance. As a bride and as a new mother. As a radiant and astonishingly beautiful woman embracing her family. As a very old and withered but content woman, falling into a never-ending slumber with all her beloved ones surrounding her.

Clint swallowed laboriously, relaxing against the bed. "You'll love a lot of people and at least as many will love you, sweetie. And you'll be happy, so very happy. Not every day of your life, but the days of joy easily outshine the days of tears." He placed her so that he could press his chin tenderly on top of her head, as though trying to hide his tears from her. "I see it all, sweetie. Every single day. And there'll never be a second, not even a single one, when I wouldn't be there with you. On the best days. And especially the worst. You…" He choked on his words, and didn't waste energy on fighting the tears that blurred his eyes. "You may not get the chance to know me… But I know you, sweetie. And I love you, now and forever. You, your mommy and your siblings. Don't you dare doubt that."

The baby whom he'd imagined to be asleep made a shockingly loud noise, clearly giving him her promise. The sound was full of love and bottomless sadness. Only two hours after meeting each other they had to say goodbye.

Clint was so mesmerized by his child and overwhelmed by emotions that the gentle hand wiping away his tears startled him. "Honey?" Laura's voice was a little slurred from sleep. She looked at him with a frown through half lidded eyes. She didn't ask if he was okay. Of course she knew that he wasn't. "What time is it?" she inquired instead.

Clint swallowed through the lump in his throat. He allowed Laura to take a secure hold of the baby before shifting as close to them both as possible. "Two minutes past midnight", he announced hoarsely. They'd made it past their daughter's birthday.

Laura nodded. Neither felt the need to talk. Due to Clint's line of job they'd always ensured that there wouldn't be unspoken matters between them. And no words would've changed how badly they both wished that they'd had just a little more time. A decade. A year. Even a single minute.

"I'll make sure that she knows you", Laura swore, nearly choking on her words. She kissed his forehead, then his brow and finally his lips. "And they'll know how much you love them. Even if they can't see you."

Clint didn't know what to say to that. Not that he would've had enough breath for words anymore, even with the help of oxygen whiskers. He leaned his head against his wife's and inhaled the scent of his loves.

There'd been so much fear and anger in him, for a while, when he found out that this moment was coming. Fear over what'd happen to those he left behind. Anger over not getting to be there for them. Anger over having to leave them. But he wasn't scared or angry anymore. Because he knew that they'd be alright, no matter how much not having him there anymore would hurt. He'd seen it.

Still he fought against the desire to close his eyes. Because it's a part of human nature to be greedy. He wanted just a few more moments, just a few more heartbeats…

"Go to sleep, honey. You've fought long enough." Laura was whispering, possibly to keep him from hearing how badly her voice was breaking. "Just close your eyes and sleep. And have sweet dreams. I'll see you in the morning."

Clint couldn't have fought it anymore, anyway. His eyes slipped closed, and the second they did he was fading away. There were tears on his face and a tiny smile on his lips as he fell asleep for the final time.

* * *

There was a strange phenomenon on the sky that night. For a little while it looked like two stars tangled together. Then one of them faded away, while the other was left amongst countless more of its kind, even more radiant than before.

* * *

Clara Barton took a deep breath as she sat down, the adrenaline high of a recently ended concert rushing through her veins. The feel of her violin and the notes still echoed, making her heart leap from joy. After another deep breath she lifted her gaze to see her reflection.

Her eyes and her long, blonde hair… They made her look just like daddy, although her nose was definitely from her mom. It made the man she only got to meet on the day she was born feel just a little closer, even if only for a moment.

"I hope that I made you proud today, daddy", she whispered. Her smile wavered, but only for a second. "Happy birthday."

"Clara?" One of the cellists, a beautiful Irish girl with radiant green eyes and long red hair that looked like fire, grinned cheekily. "You've got an admirer." A white rose was offered towards her. "Some bloke just left this for you. A really good-looking one. You're a lucky girl."

Clara didn't know what to say, so she simply nodded dazedly and accepted the offer. The first thing she noticed was just how perfect the flower was. The second was the name on the card. _Travis_.

For some reason tears filled Clara's eyes as she pressed an unsteady hand against her lips and broke into a laugh.

* * *

End

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A/N: Of course Clint will always be there for his little girl – for his entire family. (sighs) Poor thing, not getting to actually be present! But at least he passed away knowing that they'd be okay.

Sooooo… Was that any good, at all? Trash material? PLEASE, leave a note to let me know! I'd LOVE to hear from you.

THANK YOU, so much, for reading! And hey, who knows. Maybe I'll see you again.

Take care!


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